Singapore Zoo Celebrates Its 40th Birthday!

Officially opened on 27 June 1973, the Singapore Zoo is undisputedly one of the finest zoo around the region.

A distinct feature of the zoo is its open-concept where animals roam freely in the open. Take the Orangutans for example, visitors could observe them in close proximity among the trees via the elevated boardwalk which offers a spectacular 360° aerial view of the surroundings.

Unlike some zoos that keep their animals in concrete cells, the animals' quarters here are landscaped as closely to their natural habitat as possible so they are simulated to put on their natural behaviour as they would in the wild and with some luck, they might just start breeding!

One of the Singapore Zoo's greatest achievement is its successful breeding program for some of their endangered animals. To date, they have bred 40 Orangutans, 13 White Rhinos, 3 Sun Bears, and even a Polar Bear. It is heartening to know that the zoo's efforts towards conservation and preserving wildlife is taking off!

Something Devastating To Share; Golden Retriever And Samoyed Ended Up As Delicacy During Yuling Dog Meat Festival

A animal activist kneeling in front of the butchered dogs asking
for forgiveness while dog meat traders watched in amusement

First of all, I am a dog person so don't come argue with me about the plight of chicken and pigs. Call me a hypocrite if you will. I know, pigs are intelligent creatures too but that is not the point of this post so let's just keep it at that.

What I am going to share here is a video of a China program that features about this annual dog meat festival at Yulin, Guangxi. I am appalled to learn that there is actually a festival dedicated to men's best friend although it's for the wrong reason!

Apparently, the locals organised this festival to mark the summer solstice in the southern Guangxi province, where they feasted on dog meat with lychee wine.

What The Hail?

via

Today, Singapore welcomed a much sought-after rain that provided some respite for Singaporeans who had been suffocating for the last couple of days ever since the haze from Indonesia invaded our skies.

There were reports of hailstones falling in several areas of western Singapore like Chua Chu Kang, Bukit Batok and Jurong East.

The NEA announced that the rain is not toxic and Balakrishnan said that we did not do cloud seeding. It is not from the cloud seeding done in Indonesia either as the wind directions were not right.

Although relatively rare in the tropics, it was not the first time that hail has descended upon Singapore. The previous hailstone sightings was in March 27, 2008 over the central part of the country.

Toast Box Laksa

When I visited The Esplanade recently, I got so hungry that I do not think I could survive the walk over to the Marina Square food court at the opposite without fainting from hunger.

Since I am right outside Toast Box, it seem the obvious choice for me.

I really like the concept and decor at Toast Box but have been most reluctant to dine there due to their slightly higher pricing. However, it seemed to be the most economical choice viable at that crucial moment considering where I was.

If dining at Toast Box could spare my aching calves from more walking (I have been walking all day that day), I would gladly do so even if it means paying just a little more.

The Worst Haze Since 1997?

Low visibility of the Singapore Flyer

As you would have probably known by now, Singapore has been hit by one of the worst haze since 1997. In Sumatra, farmers slash-and-burn land as it is a fast and cheap process to clear space for palm oil plantations.

This inadvertently causes forest fires that pollute the air. The wind current then carried most of the smog towards our direction, leaving our island republic in a hazy situation.

The plummeting air-quality causes many to fall ill including myself who had had a asthma relapse since a week ago but with no signs of recovering.

Movie: Monsters University

In case you haven't heard, everyone's favorite monsters are back!

After twelve long years, Mike and Sulley are making a comeback with a new movie except this time, we are brought back to the very beginning where they first met in college!

It all began during a school excursion to Monster Inc. for pint-sized Mike and his elementary school friends. There, he met one of his heroes, "Frightening" Frank McCay who gave him his Monsters University cap and from that point forward, Mike is determined to attend the university and become a top scarer, just like Frank.

Economical Rice @ Kopitiam Foodcourt

"Economical Rice" (also known as mixed rice/chap chye png/chap fan/jin ji cai fan) refers to a typical chinese food stall that sells a myarid of home-cooked dishes that is accompanied by rice or thin porridge.

The food are displayed behind a glass pane in shallow, square receptacles which are kept warm on top of water heated by heating elements. When ordering, you simply point out what you want to the vendor and pay accordingly to each portion of dish you ordered.

Meat dishes typically costs more than vegetables with fish and seafood being the pricier items.

These rice stalls are a common sight around Singapore and can be found in most coffeeshops, hawker centres and even food courts.

"Economical Rice" translates to affordable meals that's easy on the pocket hence is a popular choice for many who are out to look for a thrifty meal or meal on a budget.

Apple Introduces iOS 7

We heard it would be flat. We heard it would be black and white. We heard that it would be a totally different experience.

It is. iOS 7, the latest version of Apple’s flagship mobile operating system, is here, and it’s almost entirely different from the versions that came before. Gone are the skeuomorphic designs and 3D effects, replaced by Sir Jony Ive’s “flat design.” Rumors had been flying for weeks about the new OS and now it’s here and it is, at least at this early reckoning, a massive change for the six year old operating system.

First, we must remember that Ive, Apple’s industrial designer now in control of software following the departure of Scott Forstall, isn’t a believer in interfaces that copy real-world objects. In the past, making the Notes app look like a legal pad or the calendar app look like a Moleskine calendar notebook were part of the iOS design philosophy, as ingrained in the OS as “Slide To Unlock.” All that is gone now.

Are you ready for a whole new world?

928 Yishun Laksa

Hidden in a small eatery behind Yishun Bus Interchange is a well-known Laksa stall that has many accreditation and awards plastered on its glass panel.

Despite their fame, this Laksa stall has no name and is affectionately known as the "928 Laksa" by its customers because the eatery is located right at the foot of Yishun Block 928.

You can tell how immensely popular their Laksa is with those staying staying in the neighborhood when it is the only thing they sell and yet able to command a perpetual queue that never seem to end for the last fifteen years of business.

Video: Why It Is Cruel To Let Your Dog Drink Via A Water Bottle

First of all, you have to understand how dogs drink.

I have always thought that they slurp water in the same manner as us by using the front of our tongues.

However, I realised how wrong I was when I learn that they 'scoop' water into their mouths using the bottom side of their tongues instead!

Watch the video below.

Video: Share It Maybe - Cookie Monster Parody

This is another parody of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" by Sesame Street.

Do you like Cookie Monster?

Hokkien Rhymes

This fun and whimsical project presents an investigation into rhymes from the local Hokkien dialect and their gradual disappearance.

These rhymes are prevalent in pockets of conversations among an older generation of Singaporeans. Sadly, these quaint rhymes are being eroded through lack of use, with no written records. This project aims to preserve a selection of these quaint rhymes before they disappear.

Movie: Jurassic Park 3D

Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genre: Adventure/Science-Fiction

Language: English

Release Date: 30 May 2003

Distributor: UIP

Official Site: Jurassic Park

First of all, if you are wondering, this is not a new sequel to the 1993 franchise but the very first Jurassic Park that debuted on the big screen 20 years ago. It was remastered into 3D to commemorate the film's twentieth anniversary.

When billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) devised a way to genetically clone dinosaurs, he invites experts of this field - Paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Palaeobotanist Ellie Sadler (Laura Dern) - to a remote island at the coast of Costa Rica for a sneak peek at his unfinished park, hoping they would endorse it to appease the nervous investors and the laywer who represented them. But when the park's security system is sabotaged by a disgruntled employee, hell breaks loose and the visitors are left to fend for themselves against the park's hungry inhabitants.

Video: Road Rage

This incident which happened outside the Civil Service Club at Tessensohn Road was caught on camera by the victim's dashboard camera.

In the video, the victim - a taxi driver was seen slowing down as there is another taxi in front.

It is not clear why there are so many people crowding around the taxi in front but it is evident that they are obstructing the traffic.

The driver horned about four times but upon hearing it, a fat man rushed out in a menacing manner, banging on the victim's bonnet with his fist while a skinny man went over to the driver's side and yelled at the victim to get down from his vehicle.

Happy Vesak 2013

For the uninitiated, Vesak Day is to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. 

It rained rather heavily on Vesak morning but that did not dampen our spirits to visit the Singapore Buddhist Youth Mission at Clementi.

The rain turned into a drizzle upon our arrival and I realized that there is something very different this year compared to previous years. The bazaar which used to be built on the road right in front of the temple's entrance was now built at the court beside it instead.

From what I observed, this arrangement effectively ease the traffic - both vehicular and human. The endless crowd of devotees going into the temple no longer have to jostle with those browsing at the bazaar. 

The freed-up space also meant that vehicles could drive all the way in and u-turn their way out instead of making 3-point turns on the stretch of narrow road and endangering all the people walking on the road.

Please Help This Elderly Man At Ang Mo Kio

While having lunch at Ang Mo Kio a few days ago, an elderly man approached my table and began consolidating all the leftovers from the different bowls into one.

Initially, I thought he is the cleaner here to clear up the table so I did not pay him much attention until he sat down and began to eat out of that bowl!

I was shaken by what I had seen and I knew that I have to help him somehow but how do I go about it without hurting his feelings?

Yunus N Family @ Ang Mo Kio Central Food Centre

Mee Soto is one of my favorite Malay food.

In fact, it is the first Malay dish that I was introduced to when I was young. So far, the best Mee Soto I had is the one from the GSMB canteen at Ayer Rajah. Alas, it is a military camp where I no longer have the authority to visit anymore.

My favorite way of having Mee Soto is to dunk a begedil or fried chicken wing into the soup. I would first eat up all the mee and ingredients before taking my time to enjoy the soggy begedil/fried chicken wing.

Fish & Chips From Yilmaz Western @ Ang Mo Kio Ave 6

The initial plan was to visit Rasa Sayang Western Food at the S11 coffee shop located at Ang Mo Kio Ave 8 (next to MS Color) but due to some unforseen circumstances, I ended up visiting Yilmaz Western instead.

Fortunately, I had done my homework the night before and have a backup plan if not, I would have made a wasted trip!

Over at Yilmaz Western, the specialty I have heard about was their Grilled Chicken Chop which was served on a sizzling hotplate.

Unfortunately, I was informed that the Grilled Chicken Chop is not ready yet and the boss suggested me to order something else. I was a tad disappointed but as I did not want to return empty handed, I ordered a Fish & Chips instead.

Video: The Coolest Melting Machine

You know what's cooler than having a can of 7-Up to cool yourself on a hot, sweltering day?

When the vending machine is made entirely out of ice, of course!

As the block of ice starts melting away, the cans of 7-Up frozen within is then up for grabs.

Don't you think it's a refreshing change to see such ingenius marketing from a different carbonated drink company this time round?

Let's watch it.

Batam 2013: One Day Tour

It has been close to twenty years since I last visited Batam with my secondary school friends. At that time, we went to Waterfront City and the chalet bungalows had only just been completed.

When I learn that my brother had booked us a one day trip to Batam on Labour Day, I was elated to revisit this slow-paced city again!

Early that morning, I brought my folks to meetup with my brother and his in-laws for breakfast at Habourfront where the Singapore Cruise Centre is located on the second floor.

After breakfast, we went up to check in to board the ferry but was told that the gate has already been closed even though we arrived at the stipulated time as told by the tour agency.

The personnel spoke to someone via the walkie walkie and we were given the green light to proceed as the ferry have not departed yet.

We hurried in and was just in time to hear our names being announced over the PA system.